Bill Text: PA SB598 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: In pupils and attendance, further providing for liability for tuition and enforcement of payment and for cost of tuition.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 10-4)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2009-06-12 - Referred to EDUCATION [SB598 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SB598-Amended.html

  

 

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 648

PRINTER'S NO.  888

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

SENATE BILL

 

No.

598

Session of

2009

  

  

INTRODUCED BY DINNIMAN, ERICKSON, BROWNE, EARLL, FONTANA, GREENLEAF, PILEGGI, RAFFERTY, STOUT, PICCOLA, WARD, YAW AND VANCE, MARCH 12, 2009

  

  

SENATOR PICCOLA, EDUCATION, AS AMENDED, APRIL 21, 2009   

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

1

Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An

2

act relating to the public school system, including certain

3

provisions applicable as well to private and parochial

4

schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the

5

laws relating thereto," in pupils and attendance, further

6

providing for liability for tuition and enforcement of

7

payment and for cost of tuition.

8

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

9

hereby enacts as follows:

10

Section 1.  Section 1308 of the act of March 10, 1949

11

(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,

12

amended June 7, 1993 (P.L.49, No.16), is amended to read:

13

Section 1308.  Liability for Tuition and Enforcement of

14

Payment.--(a)  In all cases not covered by the preceding section

15

if a charge is made by any school district for tuition for the

16

inmates of any such institution, the officers of the institution

17

shall submit to the board of school directors a sworn statement,

18

setting forth the names, ages, and school districts liable for

19

tuition of all children who are inmates thereof, and desire to

20

attend public school in the district. The district in which the

 


1

institution is located shall obtain a blank acknowledging or

2

disclaiming residence, signed by the secretary of the school

3

district in which the institution declares the legal residence

4

of the child to be. If said district shall fail to file said

5

blank within fifteen (15) days from the date it is sent to the

6

district by registered mail, the district in which the

7

institution is located shall again notify the district [of its]

8

and shall notify the secretary of the district's failure to

9

comply with the provisions of this act. If the district shall

10

fail to comply within fifteen (15) days following the second

11

notice, said failures to return the blank shall be construed as

12

an acknowledgement of said child's residence[.] and shall

13

authorize the secretary to make payments for tuition charges on

14

behalf of the district of residence. The district of residence

15

shall not disclaim an inmate solely for convenience or to avoid

16

adhering to the timeline set forth in this section for

17

acknowledging or disclaiming residence of any inmate or for

18

paying tuition. The tuition of such inmates [as are] included in

19

the sworn statement to the board of school directors or, in the

20

case of a school district of the first class, the board of

21

public education shall be paid by the district of residence of

22

the inmates upon receipt of a bill from the district in which

23

the institution is located setting forth the names, ages and

24

tuition charges of the inmates. The district so charged with

25

tuition may file an appeal with the Secretary of Education, in

26

which it shall be the complainant and the district in which the

27

institution is located the respondent. The decision of the

28

Secretary of Education, as to which of said parties is

29

responsible for tuition, shall be final.

30

(b)  Where a bill from the district in which the institution

- 2 -

 


1

is located remains unpaid by the district of residence seventy-

2

five (75) days following its receipt by the district of

3

residence, such bill having been sent following the second

4

notice to the district of residence, the secretary shall be

5

required to make payments for tuition charges on behalf of the

6

district of residence. The district in which the institution is

7

located shall provide the secretary with copies of all bills and

8

notices previously provided to the district of residence from

9

which a bill remains unpaid. The secretary shall pay the

10

district in which the institution is located the amount of the

11

unpaid bill within thirty (30) days of the receipt of such bills

12

and notices. Subsequent bills from the district in which the

13

institution is located for tuition charges incurred for the same

14

inmates shall be submitted to the secretary, who shall pay such

15

bills within thirty (30) days of receipt. Where the secretary

16

makes payments for tuition charges on behalf of a district of

17

residence, the secretary shall withhold from any payments due to

18

the district of residence an amount equal to the tuition charges

19

paid. The district of residence may file an appeal with the

20

secretary. An appeal by the district of residence shall not

21

cause delay in payment to the district in which the institution

22

is located. During the pendency of any issues or disputes

<--

23

regarding tuition charges, including the pendency of any appeal,

24

the inmate shall continue to receive the full range of

25

educational services to which he is entitled, including special

26

education services.

27

(c)  If any inmates have been received from outside of

28

Pennsylvania, or if the institution cannot certify as to their

29

residence, their tuition shall be paid by the institution having

30

the care or custody of said children, except in the case of

- 3 -

 


1

medically indigent children hospitalized in exclusively

2

charitable children's hospitals exempt under section 501(c)(3)

3

of the Internal Revenue Code which make no charges to any of its

4

patients nor accepts any third-party payments for services

5

provided to any of its patients. In such cases their tuition

6

shall be paid by the Commonwealth out of moneys appropriated by

7

the General Assembly for the purposes of this act. Enrollment of

8

any out-of-state student in a school district or intermediate

9

unit program shall be conditioned upon a guarantee, or actual

10

advance receipt, of tuition and transportation payment from the

11

institution, from the student's home state or out-of-state

12

school district, or from the out-of-state party or agency which

13

placed the student in the institution, except in the case of

14

medically indigent children hospitalized in exclusively

15

charitable children's hospitals exempt under section 501(c)(3)

16

of the Internal Revenue Code which make no charges to any of its

17

patients nor accepts any third-party payments for services

18

provided to any of its patients where the Commonwealth is paying

19

the tuition as otherwise provided for in this paragraph. If the

20

Secretary of Education decides that the legal residence of any

21

of said inmates is in Pennsylvania, but cannot be fixed in a

22

particular district, the Commonwealth shall pay the tuition of

23

such inmate out of moneys appropriated to the Department of

24

Education by the General Assembly for the maintenance and

25

support of the public schools of the Commonwealth.

26

Section 2.  Section 1309(a) of the act is amended by adding a

27

paragraph to read:

28

Section 1309.  Cost of Tuition; How Fixed.--(a)  The cost of

29

tuition in such cases shall be fixed as is now provided by law

30

for tuition costs in other cases, except in the following

- 4 -

 


1

circumstances:

2

* * *

3

(3)  When a child who is an inmate of an institution receives

4

specialized instruction, including remedial, rehabilitative or

5

alternative education or services, the district in which the

6

institution is located may charge the district of residence and

7

the district of residence shall pay the full cost for such

8

specialized instruction, including remedial, rehabilitative or

9

alternative education or services. Such charge when combined

10

with the applicable tuition charge shall not exceed the total

11

net cost of the education or services provided.

12

* * *

13

Section 3.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

- 5 -

 


feedback